Low Calorie St. Patrick’s Day Drinks (Yes, You Read that Right.)

St. Patrick’s Day may be among the booziest of holidays, but it doesn’t have to doom your diet.

Wonder how many calories are in those green cocktails? Photo via Shutterstock.

St. Patrick’s Day: The one day a year everyone is Irish, beer is its own food group, and day drinking is not only accepted but encouraged. But while all that green-clad debauchery might be fun, those festive drinks can also take a major toll on your waistline. Here are our six favorite (relatively) low-calorie St. Patrick’s Day drinks, so neither your diet nor your celebration has to suffer.

Curley’s Irish stout photo courtesy of Boston Beer Works.

Curley’s Irish Stout

It’s hard to believe that an ale this dark could possibly be low in calories, but believe it. This traditional Irish stout has just under 120 calories per 12 ounces, and, as an added benefit, it comes from local company Boston Beer Works.

This Irish classic clocks in with a calorie count similar to Curley’s (35 per 100 milliliters, which translates to about 120 calories per 12 ounces). As an extra bonus, there is a lot of research that suggests this St. Patty’s Day staple may be good for you in other ways—like warding off heart attack-causing clots and providing iron and protein—too. Guess that old advertising campaign was on to something.

This cocktail, consisting of a shot of Irish whiskey (like Jameson), ginger ale, and lime juice, certainly isn’t harmless—it contains about 200 calories and 25 grams of sugar—but it’s certainly a step up from fat- and calorie-laden drinks made with things like Bailey’s Irish Cream and chocolate liqueur. And if you really feel you must, you could always swap regular ginger ale out for a diet version.

Okay, so there’s no way a drink that contains Irish cream liqueur and Irish whiskey is going to be healthy. But if you hold the whipped cream and sugar, this drink isn’t your worst choice (especially if you’re starting your festivities early in the day). An even better choice? Brew Irish breakfast tea and add a shot of Irish whiskey and some lemon juice for a drink that rings in at only 80 calories.

It’s no-frills and, we admit, not the most exciting of cocktails, but it gets the job done with minimal damage to your calorie count. Simply mix Jameson with a splash of club soda and lemon and enjoy knowing you won’t wake up with a beer belly.

Get your dose of St. Patrick’s Day green (and a sweet taste) without packing on the pounds. Simply mix 3/4 of an ounce of vodka, half an ounce of creme de menthe, and club soda for a cocktail that rings in at about 150 calories.

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